Staff were found to be caring and responsive to patient’s needs. Clinical outcomes were seen to be in-line or better than national performance in a range of areas.

The environment was well maintained and generally fit for purpose; there were systems in place to protect patients from the risk of infections. Processes and procedures were in place for ensuring that the risks associated with the use of ionising radiation were managed appropriately and in line with national requirements.

Services were organised so that they met the needs of the local population however further work was required to ensure that staff had the necessary skills and experience to manage patients living with dementia; this had already been acknowledged as an area which required improvement by the provider.

Improvements were required in a range of areas including how incidents and risks were reported and managed. There was an inconsistent approach to how staff reported clinical incidents and there was some discrepancy amongst staff with what constituted a reportable incident.

Nursing and radiology staffing levels were, in the main, found to be sufficient. Whilst the service did not utilise a formal patient acuity tool to determine staffing levels, the local management team reviewed and assessed staffing levels on a regular basis to ensure the needs of patients could be met. Where temporary bank and agency staff were required, induction programmes were in place to ensure individuals were orientated to the service as well as there being a process in place to determine the competency of individuals to ensure they had the right skills and knowledge to care for patients receiving care in this specialist environment.